A-League: Mateo Poljak says reaction to fan violence 'over the top'

Sports reporter

"I'm not approving of those things but now and then when you have a lot of people, you really can't stop everything": Wanderers midfielder Mateo Poljak. Photo: Getty Images

Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Mateo Poljak says there has been a widespread overreaction to fan violence in the A-League and insists the behaviour of football fans in Australia is a minor issue compared with other countries.

Poljak has experienced similar incidents in Croatia where he was struck by a flare as a ball-boy during a local derby.

With the Sydney A-League derby expected to draw a sell-out crowd at Pirtek Stadium on Saturday night, the 24-year-old believes the response from the public, media and Football Federation Australia has been over the top following a public brawl in Melbourne last month between sections of Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory supporters. While Poljak does not condone the violent clash between the two supporter groups, he said football fans here had been too heavily scrutinised for what he believed was an isolated incident.

The good, the bad and the ugly: the Western Sydney Wanderers are well supported. Photo: Getty Images

''I think they put too much attention to that. OK, I'm not approving of those things but now and then when you have a lot of people, you really can't stop everything,'' Poljak said. ''This is just a small part of how things can go wrong. They just get carried away and if someone provokes them, I don't know. I think it's a bit too harsh on them with what's going on.''

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Poljak was also critical of the FFA's punishment of the clubs involved, imposing suspended penalties of three match points that will be triggered in the event of a repeat clash. He proposed that clubs should be fined first and issued warnings before facing a loss of competition points for off-field matters that can at times be out of their control.

''I think that's too much,'' Poljak said. ''If something happens then they charge the clubs. Before they take the points, fines should go first, and maybe after a few warnings - not straight away - they should take points. That should be the last thing they should do, take the points. The clubs can't do anything in that situation. It happens in every single sport with rival fans, they can meet at the same point, it doesn't even have to be organised, sometimes you can't do anything to avoid that.''

Harsh: Mateo Poljak says clubs not to blame. Photo: Getty Images

Poljak grew up in a region with a history of football violence and has experienced the dark side of hooliganism first-hand. Due to his involvement with the youth team of Dinamo Zagreb, Poljak was invited to be a ball-boy for their clash against fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2004 and was granted his wish to be located in the north stand, beneath the home active supporter group. After the opening goal in the 3-0 rout of Hajduk, dozens of flares were thrown from the stands with one striking the 15-year-old Poljak. ''It was actually a derby against

Hajduk and I always wanted to be a ball-boy under the north stand where the [Dinamo supporter group] Bad Blue Boys are,'' Poljak said. ''When Dinamo scored a goal, I think hundreds of flares came from the north stand and I was running from one and I didn't see the other one hit my shoulder, but I had a jacket so it just burned the jacket, that's it, nothing.''

Despite the initial fear, Poljak reflects fondly on the experience and kept his burnt jacket as a souvenir, despite being handed the match jersey of Dinamo striker Ivan Bosnjak after the match.

''It was actually pretty funny … it was a positive memory,'' he said. ''We won 3-0 and I kept the jacket. I was not injured, or burnt or something, just my jacket which was new, but at the end of the day it was a good win for the boys, good atmosphere and it was a good trophy.''

Meanwhile, Adelaide United have bolstered their attacking ranks, signing Ryan Griffiths for the remainder of the season.

The former Newcastle Jets forward recently returned to Australia after a season with Chinese club Beijing Boxy and his deal with the Reds is pending a medical clearance from the club. Griffiths, 32, scored 19 goals for the Jets across two seasons from 2011-13 and football manager Michael Petrillo said the Reds were looking for more of the same. ''Ryan is an experienced player who [coach] Josep [Gombau] feels will suit our game and believes will be a very valuable acquisition adding depth and flexibility to the squad,'' Petrillo said.

Griffiths will arrive in Adelaide on Wednesday night and is expected to be available for Adelaide's clash with A-League frontrunners Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

Melbourne Victory have released Jonathan Bru from the final year of his A-League contract.

Bru, 28, played 19 games under former coach Ange Postecoglou with the Victory last season.

But the midfielder has not featured this season after Kevin Muscat took over when Postecoglou moved on to coach the Socceroos.

Bru joined the Victory on a two-year deal before the start of last year's A-League season.